Greeting from the Middle of Nowhere
23 October 2009 | Nowhere
It is two in the morning, the wind just died, I have the port engine running and I am on the dog watch. The sky is full of stars, there is no moon, it's a little chilly but it is quiet and peaceful. I actually like the evening watches because I enjoy the solitude which is a rare commodity onboard. We started this trip for more family time and I often laugh that it is babysitter time I need now!!
We left Bora Bora yesterday and are about 200 miles from the Cook Islands. We should make landfall in Aituaki in a few days. The highlight of Bora Bora for us was the Yacht Club, which is not saying a whole lot. It was a laid back atmosphere with a minute beach set up with BBQ and tables, a few small bungalows and a waterfront restaurant. It also had a new dock with lots of reef fish swimming around it. Ordinarily we would not stay on a mooring off a Yacht Club, however the boys LOVED it. They would finish school and immediately take off for shore with one of us. They would fish with bread or left over ham as bait, until they caught a fish, then Ben would (with his penknife) gut the poor little guy and slice it up into strips for bait. As Ben says, "When you get the real fresh bait on THAT is when the real fishing begins Mom!" Both Ben and Sam would keep themselves busy for hours every afternoon with fishing, snorkeling and running around the premises. They had two resident dogs which would follow the boys around knowing when the two kids arrive there is usually a chance to steal their bait! The boys would play chase and fetch with them. While Ben & Sam were busy exploring their surrounds, O would read a book, have a beer or fish with them and I would usually go for a swim off the boat or enjoy some peace and quiet.
We sailed from Raiatea with Snorri on Erialc. We met he and his wife Caroline (they have 2 kids Ben & Sam's age) in Moorea. Caroline flew with the kids to NZ and Snorri will sail Erialc there solo. He is Swiss but grew up on boats and lived in Martinique most of his life. He is a lot of fun. He and Otis hit it off very well from the beginning. Our last night there we had a BBQ on the beach with another American couple, Brad and Linda on Kattywompus. It was nice to sit under the stars and chat away the evening.
Overall, I must admit, I am relieved to be leaving the Society Islands. Don't get me wrong, if you went there on your honeymoon, I am sure it was wonderful, especially if you were not paying for it! The resorts are beautiful and Moorea in particular, has a special place in my heart. O asked me to marry him there, but from a cruising standpoint The Societies do not hold a whole lot of appeal for us.
Firstly, it is HELLISHLY expensive. I am talking 70.00USD for a case of beer! A dinner at a roadside van cannot be found for under $15.00 per person, a can of soda is $2.00, tomatoes $7.00 kilo (when you can find them). While we did do a lot of provisioning in Panama, I still had to buy fresh fruit, veggies, chicken etc. It just all adds up. The worst part was the price of the local fruit!!! Mangoes sold on the side of the road for $2.50 each!!! A pineapple (rather large) was $11.00. So, here you are in "paradise' with mango trees EVERYWHERE, yet you can't afford one. A hand of bananas was $6.50!!! Meanwhile, in the Marquesas they were giving these fruit away. It is a shame to see how much goes to waste because they simply price themselves out.
Secondly, there really are no great beaches in the Societies. The resorts have beaches which they trucked in sand to make. Many of the motus (small islands) that we saw were private and pretty protective of that fact. Other than a handful of locations, the snorkeling was below the Bahamas. Even the coral garden in Tahaa was pretty much dead, although it was a fun drift dive for Ben.
The locals are accustomed to cruise ships and tourists and therefore are not that friendly. We prefer the less developed islands like the Marquesas, where a smile comes quicker and hospitality is instinctual and heartfelt, rather than a burden.
The upside to these islands is they had great baguettes, tons of different cheeses and pates cheap and readily available. The downside is that I now have to start running to burn it all off!!! The problem with being in a place that is so expensive is you start to get used to the prices and lose perspective about how much things are actually costing you.
Surprisingly, the yard bill in Raiatea was very reasonable. We had the same things done to Indy in Grenada and it was half the price and much better service in Raitea.
I guess I was starting to feel like we were in a rut and I was bored and disinterested, which for me is bad because once I get bored it feeds on itself. I was more than happy to pull anchor in Bora and sail away. I am looking forward to the peace and solitude of the Cook Islands. I have heard that the fishing, water clarity and beaches are just fantastic, and the people are incredibly welcoming, hence why Captain Cook originally wanted to name them "The Friendly Islands". We will take our time exploring several of the islands before making our way to American Samoa where we hope to wait out hurricane season.
I was starting to get a little nervous that Halloween was going to be a bust for the kids this year, since I am unsure whether they celebrate it in the Cooks. If they don't celebrate it, I have been psyching them for a different type of Halloween. I told them we could build a fort on one of the atolls which we would decorate with carved squash and various other Halloween crafts, have a bonfire, roast hot dogs, marshmallows and tell spooky stories! I even promised that if it is a nice night, we can sleep in the fort. They seem to be excited. I have a feeling the kids will be literally sleeping on top of us that night!
"The Plan", as I have alluded to thus far, is to hole up in American Samoa for hurricane season. While it is still in the hurricane belt, it is acclaimed to be one of the safest harbors for hurricanes, apparently not for tsunamis though. While there it would be wonderful to put the kids in school and pick up some work. I would love to have a routine and be a part of a community for a little while.
However, if it truly is an active El Nino year, or Pago Pago turns out to be more undesirable than anticipated, we will head to the Line Islands which are above the equator and out of the hurricane belt a. They are VERY secluded but supposedly also beautiful. So, we have options.
Well, I will sign off for now...
Goodnight from the middle of nowhere...